Friday Fives: Five Things I Bring to Every Race!

I'm very methodical when I prepare for a race, from training all the way to race morning.  After forgetting a few different items for race day, I've started putting what I need aside the night before into a drawstring bag that I end up leaving in my car during the race itself.  These are a few of the things that I cannot leave the house without on race morning!

1.  Road ID
It's so simple.  Mine is just a little rubber bracelet with my name, birthday, a couple important phone numbers, notable allergies and "PAUSE MY GARMIN"  There are a few different options for where to wear your Road ID, and I definitely wear this on every run outside of my house.  You never know when you might need it!  For race day, all I need to do is write "See left wrist" so if something happens a paramedic can see that and check my wrist for all the info they need.  Use the above link for $5 off your order!  Road IDs typically cost around $20.

2.  Spibelt
I don't like carrying absolutely everything in my pockets if I can help it.  My spibelt is the perfect size for a phone, car key, my Blue Q coin purse and still have space to spare.  They've started releasing some really fun prints too!  It's super comfortable and it doesn't even bounce during a run.  Spibelts start at $20.

3.  Garmin
Like I tell a lot of people:  I'm a stickler for accountability.  I use my Vivosmart HR to track daily activity and distance during boot camp classes, but my Forerunner 230 (with heart rate strap) to track my runs.  I upgrade to the Forerunner 230 this past December from the Forerunner 10 and it has been amazing.  The heart rate strap helps me see how much effort I'm putting into my runs, and there are lots of extras you can install to expand the abilities of the great little watch.  I have an Accuweather app that tells you the weather outlook for your run, various watch faces (including some that I've made with the Garmin Face-It app for my phone) and a pacer to help with race day.  Garmin has lots of GPS watches for various price points, beginning at $120 for the Forerunner 15.

4.  Throwaway water bottle with cherry limeade Nuun and a Picky Bar
The night before a race I always grab a throwaway water bottle and put in a tab of cherry limeade Nuun.  It has just a little caffeine to wake me up and helps me hydrate for the race ahead.  I also like to eat a Picky Bar before a race for a small breakfast.  They were created by athletes (Lauren Fleshman, Jesse Thomas and Stephanie Bruce) and they're pretty nutrient dense with minimal processing.  They can be found at Trader Joe's and REI and are absolutely delicious.  (I also enjoy eating them for an easy post-run snack.)  My favorite flavors are Ahh Fudge Nuts (chocolate fudge brownie with peanuts), Smooth Caffeinator (chocolate hazelnut with caffeine) and Cookie Doughpness (cinnamon raisin.)  However before a race I tend to grab the Smooth Caffeinator for a little more caffeine.  A tube of Nuun will set you back about $7, and Picky Bars retail for about $3.  (You can get bottled water really inexpensively at Trader Joe's where a whole case is less than $5.)

5.  Blue Q coin purse

This one is a little more unique, but hear me out.  Last May when I ran the St. Michael's Half Marathon it was probably some of the worst weather conditions that I've had to run in ever.  It rained the whole entire time.  I was completely soaked within the first mile.  When I was emptying my pockets in the car after the race, one thing was dry and it was this little coin purse.  I use it to carry my driver's license (you'll be ID'd for that post-race beer!), some cash and a credit card.  It's small enough that it's easy to get everything out and can still fit into that pocket in the waistband of your running pants.  These cost about $2-4 depending on the print.

What are some things that you can't leave the house without on race morning?